The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child safeguards the rights of children in areas such as non-discrimination, consideration of the best interests of the child, survival and development and the right of children to express their views in matters concerning them. The Convention was ratified by Norway in 1991, and has now been ratified by 191 countries throughout the world.
In June 2003 the Storting (Norwegian national assembly) adopted a bill relating to the incorporation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child into national legislation. The Convention will become part of Norwegian law by means of an amendment to the Human Rights Act of 1999. The amendment will enter into force in October 2003. It is presumed that such incorporation will strengthen the legal position of children by enhancing their right to be heard. The age limit for children’s right to express their views will be lowered from 12 to 7 years. The project to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child has also led to proposals for amendments to the Children Act, the Adoption Act and the Child Welfare Act. Children over the age of seven and younger children who are capable of forming their own views must be informed and given an opportunity to express their views before decisions are made in cases that affect them.
In April 2003 Norway submitted its third report to the UN on the follow up of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This report provides a brief description of some of the challenges Norway faces with respect to living conditions for children and young people and presents changes new developments that have taken place in this sphere since Norway submitted its previous report.
In 1981, Norway established the world’s first Ombud for children. The office holds statutory powers and works continuously to improve the welfare of children in Norway through the requirements set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Over the past decade, Norwegians have acquired greater insight from the media, research and literature into the lives of young girls and boys from minority backgrounds. In its main intervention at the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva in the spring of 2000, Norway emphasized that honour killing, female genital mutilation and forced marriage are practices that must be condemned internationally. In keeping with this policy, the Norwegian Government has introduced plans of action to combat forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
By the Norwegian Ministry of Children and Family Affairs